Shepherd's new nursing building named in honor of Sen. Robert Byrd's wife

ISSUED: 12 June 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
(Shepherd's new nursing building named in honor of Sen. Robert Byrd's wife)

Shepherdstown, WV--Senator Robert C. Byrd was the keynote speaker at the dedication of the new nursing building at Shepherd University on June 12. The building, named Erma Ora Byrd Hall in honor of Sen. Byrd's late wife, is a 37,000 gross square foot, two-story building which houses specialized nursing classrooms, labs, office space, conference rooms, student study center, and general purpose classrooms.

Sen. Byrd obtained $10 million in federal funding for the state-of-the-art facility which will be used to train nursing students.

Also announced during the ceremony was the establishing of the Erma Ora Byrd Memorial Scholarship Fund for Nursing by medical service provider PrimeCare Medical of West Virginia. The endowed scholarship for deserving Shepherd nursing students was announced by Dr. Carl A. Hoffman, Jr., PrimeCare CEO.

Erma Ora Byrd Hall was designed by the architectural firm Design Collective, Inc., of Baltimore, Maryland, and built by Palmer Construction Company, Inc., of McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania.

-30-OWENS

Erma Ora Byrd Hall Dedication Ceremony Program (PDF)

Pictured (l. to r.) Bill Palmer, Palmer Construction Company, Inc.; Dr. Virginia Hicks, dean of education and professional studies; Dr. Mark Stern, vice president for academic affairs; John Sherwood, chair of the Board of Governors; Fred Marino, Design Collective, Inc.; Dr. Kathleen Gaberson, chair of the Department of Nursing Education; Dr. David L. Dunlop, president of Shepherd University; Senator Robert C. Byrd; and Dr. Suzanne Shipley, president-elect of Shepherd University.